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Assess, Address, Amend

PostPosted: Tue Feb 14, 2017 10:08 am
by Dave Z
My partner and I use this as a mantra of sorts. To me, it encapsulates the Scientific Method in micro, and describes what I think of as the upward Spiral of Knowledge.

Step through it, or maybe dance through it, weaving all three into forward motion. Repeat.

Assess - What is the situation? What are the resources? What are the options? Brainstorm (if there's time). Form a plan.

Address - Put the plan into action. Keep an assessing eye open. Debrief as you go.

Amend - How did it go? What went well? What might have gone better? Do we need more training in our procedures as they are, or do we need to revise our procedures? Or both?

The inspiration for this came from paramedic training, which provided assess and address. Each week, we'd debrief (amend) any runs, looking for ways to improve. Through this approach, we extended our mandated protocols (aka Standard Operating Procedures). We've found it useful in sailing, boatbuilding and everyday life.

It always struck me how similar this is to the process of building scientific knowledge; looped hypothesis, experiment, evaluation. It's not the whole of the Scientific Method, but has the advantage of being pithy.

Doesn't quite meet the brief of encapsulating information, in itself, but as an algorithm, it has the potential to process and amass experience.

Dave Z

Re: Assess, Address, Amend

PostPosted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 10:51 am
by Bruce Mardle
That reminds me of a book, 'The IDEAL Problem-Solver', that came 'free' with a subscription to 'Scientific American' decades ago:
Identify that there is a problem.
Define the problem.
Explore solutions.
Act.
Look back.

Re: Assess, Address, Amend

PostPosted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 1:29 am
by Dave Z
Here's another similar to Bruce's DEAL:

Focus
Equip
Act
Review

This one was proposed in a survival context as a productive redirection of initial fear response to crisis.

Dave Z


PS. Here's a set of survival mnemonics: http://teotwurbulence.blogspot.com/2017/03/survival-mnemonics.html